Probably numbering among 2003's most anticipated films, Kill Bill Vol 1 is Quentin Tarantino's first film as director (or writer) since 1997's Jackie Brown. Originally conceived as one film, Kill Bill was split into two parts fairly late in the process of making it (there are various stories as to why this was done, but I find it best not to speculate on such things...) - surprisingly, this doesn't seem to make it feel incomplete.

So, what's it got? Assassins, knife fights, blood, sword fights, blood, a killer Japanese school girl, lots of blood, betrayal, murder, revenge, deviancy, Sonny Chiba... and blood. Apparently it's also full of references to the classic Hong Kong martial arts and Japanese samurai movies that were the inspiration behind the film - all of which went completely over my head. It doesn't matter though - in the end it's a simple story of betrayal, revenge and the cost of revenge, told well. Uma Thurman is The Bride, a.k.a Black Mamba, member of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad, shot and left in a coma by the title character in the brutal opening scene of the movie. Naturally, when she wakes up four years later she's not too happy about this, so she sets out to take revenge on those who wronged her. That's about it for story, really - the movie is really all about style, which it doesn't fail to deliver. The fights are all wirework - no CGI was used - and nicely choreographed; the visual style changes frequently enough that the longer scenes don't drag, and the soundtrack works well.

During World War 2, Chinese folk hero Chen Zhen (Li) is off studying in Japan, in an effort to learn more about the nation that threatens to invade his homeland, when he receives the news that his master has been killed in a duel with a samurai back home. Chen returns home to pay his respects and get to the bottom of what exactly led to the demise of his master, as he is convinced that no samurai could have defeated him.

Fist of Legend is a loose remake of Bruce Lee's Fist of Fury (AKA The Chinese Connection), but takes a very different approach to the same story. The main difference being Chen Zhen; in the original, he's undeniably a Bruce Lee character (aggressive and forthright), in Fist of Legend he's undeniably Jet Li (more laid back and pensive before ass-kicking).

Woo-ping Yuen's (The Matrix, Kill Bill, Drunken Master) fight choreography is his best to date, helped in no small part by the amazing talent of a Jet Li in his prime (and not too much in the way of wire fights!). Of particular note, this is the movie the Neo vs Morpheus fight from the first Matrix was (almost exactly!) pinched from. What really makes this Jet Li's best movie to date (maybe even the best Hong Kong action movie to date) is the pacing - just enough decent story blended with unbelievable martial arts.